Pentagon lifts ban on women in combat: Women ‘have become an integral part of our ability to perform our mission’

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta speaks about the situation in Algeria, at the start of his remarks during a visit to King's College in London on Friday, Jan. 18, 2013, saying there will be "no quarter for terrorists in North Africa." (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

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Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, officially rescinded the ban on women serving in ground combat units, signing the order at the Pentagon Thursday.

“The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and I believe we must open up service opportunities for women as fully as possible,” Panetta said at the press conference. “And therefore today Gen. Dempsey and I are pleased to announce that we are eliminating the direct ground combat exclusion rule for women, and we are moving forward with a plan to eliminate all unnecessary gender-based barriers to service.”

The outgoing secretary of defense said that he has been working for over a year with the Joint Chiefs to make the vision of expanded opportunities for women in uniform a reality.

“Our nation was built on the premise of the citizen soldier and our democracy I believe it is the responsibility of every citizen to protect the nation, and every citizen who can meet the qualifications of service should have that opportunity,” he said.

Panetta noted that women comprise over 15 percent of the military and that 152 women in uniform have died serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“The fact is [women] have become an integral part of our ability to perform our mission,” he said.

Panetta explained that women have “proven their willingness to fight, and yes, died to defend their fellow Americans,” noting that in early 2012 the Pentagon opened some ground combat unit opportunities to women and that the changes have been “positive.”

“I have been impressed with the fact that everyone, everyone, men and women alike, everyone is committed to doing the job. They are fighting and they are dying together,” he said. “And the time has come for the policies to recognize that reality.”

His vision is explained is to have the most efficient fighting force of qualified individuals, “regardless of creed or color or gender or sexual orientation.”

“We are all committed to accomplishing this change, without compromising readiness or morale or our fighting capabilities,” he said.

Panetta praised the Joint Chiefs’ plan to integrate women and said that the new positions will be open to women following services reviews.

“Not everyone is going to be able to be a combat soldier, but everyone is entitled to a chance,” he said.

Dempsey, who spoke after Panetta, stressed that the elimination of the ban would not result in lowered standards, but standards that are appropriate for accomplishing the job. He added, however, that if a standard is found to be too high for women, the service must explain why it is so high.

“We will also integrate women in a way that enhances opportunity for everyone,” Dempsey said. “This means setting clear standards of performance for all occupations based on what it actually takes to do the job. It also means ensuring the standards are gender neutral in occupations that are open to women.”

“We all wear the same uniform and we all fire the same weapons and most importantly we all take the same oath,” Dempsey added.